Zohran Mamdani, civil rights groups oppose Mohan Bhagwat's MSG address. Can NYC mayor cancel it?

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come out against an upcoming event at Madison Square Garden in New York where Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora.

Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of the centenary-year global outreach programme of the RSS. The Sarsanghchalak is scheduled to participate in the Universal Oneness programme and address around 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The Universal Oneness Celebration is being organised by AHEAD (American Hindus for Engagement And Dialogue) Forum, which is hosting Bhagwat. Announcing his participation, the organisers said the programme carries the message that "The world is one family".

"It calls upon us to look beyond artificial divisions and differences, recognise the bonds that unite humanity, and embrace a spirit of mutual respect, harmony, and oneness," the organisation said in a social media post.

The event has drawn opposition from several interfaith and civil rights organisations, who called for cancellation of the event.

Asked whether the event should be cancelled, Mamdani made it very clear that he is opposed to the event, but noted that any decision on cancellation is beyond the limits of the city government's powers.

"I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event," he said at a news conference.

Can Mamdani cancel Bhagwat's Madison Square Garden event?

While New York City regulates permits involving public street closures, public parks and large-scale public assemblies, it cannot arbitrarily cancel a lawful gathering being held under a private contract inside a private indoor venue. This would mean that despite Mamdani's personal opposition to Bhagwat's appearance, the mayor may lack the jurisdiction to cancel the event.

The Indian-origin mayor also explained why he opposed the gathering. "I also stand here as the first Indian-American Mayor in our city's history, and my mother's family is all still in India," Mamdani said.

He said the India he had learned about from his family was "a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India".

Mamdani said it had been "incredibly troubling" for him to witness the rise of what he described as a movement based on an "exclusionary vision".

He said he was in "deep opposition" to such a vision, both as an Indian-American and as the mayor of a city that "believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their colour, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they're from".

Mamdani's remarks came as several interfaith and civil rights organisations, including Hindus for Human Rights, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Centre of New York, held a press conference outside New York City Hall opposing Bhagwat's appearance. They called on Madison Square Garden to cancel the event.

A few days ago, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had called on the US government not to extend diplomatic courtesies or hold high-level meetings with RSS leaders. USCIRF officials also demanded sanctions against RSS members found responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief.

USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood had described the RSS as an umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have allegedly been responsible for attacks against religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians.

"India's PM Modi is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities, incl. Christians & Muslims. Now the RSS leader, Mohan Bhagwat, plans to visit the US," Mahmood said.